Tick Tock, Watch the Clock
by Mochi-girl
Summary: "Michael, I know how you feel, but remember, we don't blame each other for being human, for trying to be normal." She embraced him and laid her head on his shoulder. Michael grimaced at her words, she was right, blame would never change what was happening to them or bring their losses back.
1. Ambushed

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

My thanks to the very clever Emmachen1312, who came up with the concepts for this story. She inspired me to give it my best shot and I only hope I do it justice.

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Tick Tock, Watch the Clock

* * *

Ambushed

* * *

"Alex, get Sean and put your phone on speaker, you both need to hear this." Birkhoff's stomach churned and his heart hammered in his chest. He knew to be effective he had to be detached and remain objective, but this was very personal.

"We're both here, what's happened?" Alex knew, the minute she heard his voice that something was wrong. His serious demeanor was a dead give away.

"It's Emma. She's been abducted and this is Amanda's doing." Saying the words out loud made it real and he felt like he had been slapped hard across the face.

"Jesus Christ…" Sean muttered. "Are you sure it was her?"

"The Bitch left a note for Nikita. We're sure. How long before you can get to the island?"

"Tell Nikita and Michael, we're on our way. ETA, forty-five minutes." Alex swallowed the lump in her throat and fought back her tears.

"Make it thirty." Birkhoff hung up the phone and felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He always knew Amanda would re-surface and when she did, it would be very bad.

* * *

"_Congratulations! It's definitely twins. See here? Those are two separate heart beats."_

_Nikita looked at Michael, her eyes wide with shock. Once she saw the same frozen look on his face, she knew she had heard the doctor correctly. Twins. Both of their expressions melted from disbelief to shock._

"_Everything looks fine, but we treat multiples as a high risk pregnancy." Dr. Keller helped Nikita sit up and get down from the examining table. He looked sincerely happy for them. Even under these strange circumstances, a baby or babies in this case were the most natural and normalizing event for a couple like Michael and Nikita, even in Division._

"_I'll let you two digest this news." The doctor smiled, but like everyone in the clandestine organization, a more serious expression took its place. "You'll need to tell Ryan and soon, in just a few months it will be evident." He patted Michael on his back before leaving._

_Nikita emerged from the bathroom. "Michael? You are happy aren't you?" She had been through it all, but this was ultimately going to be the biggest event in both their lives. Although she knew better, she went there. She went to that place which undermines us all, called doubt. _

_The crinkles around Michael's eyes deepened and he looked thoughtful. He reached out and took her into his arms. "Despite all of the insane and deplorable things in our lives, this is pure and will give everything we do some perspective." He kissed her. __"I've never been so happy!" _

_She kissed him back and any lingering uncertainty disappeared. This man, who she had shared so much with, loved her and she loved him back. "I never considered myself as a mother... but I know you will be the the best father."_

"_We have a lot to consider. We'll need to make some decisions and there will be some made for us. Are you ready for this?" Michael smoothed her hair back and looked her straight in the eye._

"_I don't know if I'm ready, but I do know that I'll never turn back! Oh my God, twins! " She threw her arms around his neck and thought she was the luckiest woman in the world._

* * *

The whirr from the helicopter blades was deafening and the force of the wind whipped Alex's hair around her head. Sean joined her on the helipad and they both squinted as the chopper rose up into the sky and banked to the left before taking off. Both of them shared the same sense of foreboding as they power walked to the house.

Michael and Nikita's two and half year old daughter Emma had vanished. She and her bodyguard Sam, were ambushed on the way back from the toddler's pre-school. Even in this quiet island community, the unspeakable had happened.

Sean was greeted by a member of their security team and followed him to the home office, while Alex made her way to the kitchen.

She saw the strained look on Nikita's face. To see her friend and mentor like this was heart breaking. She hugged her and rubbed her back and they sat down at the kitchen table.

"We will get her back. Emma will be back in your arms before you know it." Alex would be strong for her, the two of them had been through so much together, the bond between them was unbreakable.

Her phone rang and she picked it up. "Sonya... Birkhoff... what did you find?"

The two former Division Agents staid behind to work from the company office on the fifty-sixth floor of the Union Building. They had all become family and were equally rattled by this frightening news.

Sonya's soothing voice came over the speaker phone. "We haven't found any evidence of private traffic in or out of the Island. No boats, planes or helicopters. We leaked a bomb scare to the ferry system and they've halted all service. Emma has to be on the island."

When Michael and Nikita had asked Birkhoff and Sonya to join them in their private security business, they were thrilled to be part of this new venture and out from under Division's thumb. They helped set up an office near the financial district, it had a panoramic view of the water framed by mountains in the background, and it was only a few blocks from the ferry terminal.

Alex and Sean were the next to come on board. They left Division armed with new identities, birth records and social security cards. It wasn't a hard adjustment and they were committed to each other and to this new opportunity. They joined the company that provided security to individuals and agencies across the globe. Their clients included Presidents, Prime Ministers, Government Diplomats and helping the innocent who had been cruelly victimized.

Alex took a deep breath. "Sonya, Sean will want to coordinate a sweep of the island, he's with Michael, wait for his call."

"Hey Nikki, it's gonna be okay!" Birkhoff chimed in. "She won't get away with this." He knew he and the others had to keep it together. This wasn't about transferring some dubious foreign dignitary from one extradited country to another, this was about Emma, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

"Thanks. Let us know what you find on the security cams at the ferry dock." Nikita's voice quavered.

"You know it." Birkhoff huffed out.

"What about Sam?" Sonya sounded as tentative as she felt.

"He's alive, but in a coma, he's been med-evac'd to Division." Nikita tried to keep her voice steady. "We're concerned for his safety and when he wakes up, we want to be the first to debrief him. He can tell us what happened." All of them knew Emma's bodyguard would be devastated. All of them prayed he would wake up.

Michael walked in and Alex stood up from the table and reached out toward him. She squeezed his hand in support and empathy. "I'll be in your office." She walked out hating feeling helpless.

Nikita's face was void of emotion, ghostly pale and set in stone. She stared at Emma's booster seat across the kitchen table from her. When she looked up and acknowledged Michael, she kept herself in check. It was a necessary mask to keep her under control.

The silence between them roared in his ears. "Sean's heading the search. We've got every square inch of this island covered."

He looked at her sorrowfully. "Nikita, I'm sorry. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't pushed you into letting her go." He had told her it would be good for their daughter to be enrolled in pre-school with other children. She wasn't convinced until he finally agreed to hire Sean's friend to be Emma's unlikely nanny. Sam was a gentle giant, whose background was in Special Forces.

She shook her head and looked up at him. "This is not your fault." She said the words with conviction. "I know everything you do is for us. I know you would never put either of us in harms way. This is on me. Amanda hasn't given up on hurting me…" Nikita's mask crumbled and she choked back a sob.

Michael pulled a chair up next to her and sat down. He took her hands in his. "No, this isn't on you, it's on Amanda. She's sick and twisted, but we will get Emma back. You have to believe this."

She wiped the tears off of her face and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Michael, I know how you feel, but remember, we don't blame each other for being human, for trying to be normal." She embraced him and laid her head on his shoulder. Michael grimaced at her words, she was right, blame would never change what was happening to them or bring their losses back.

The call from The Island Sheriff's Department seemed like a dream. At first, she was sure she heard them incorrectly. Then she practically begged them to recant their words and tell her it was a mistake. She replayed the conversation in her head, and each time she went through it, it made her cringe.

_"Nikita, this is Deputy Sheriff Campbell, there's been an accident. You and Michael need to get down here immediately."_

_Her heart stopped and she felt numb with fear. "Where's Emma? Put Sam on the phone, I want to speak to him."_

_"Sam's alive, but unconscious. The__ SUV he was driving, it went off the road._"

_"What are you saying? Where's Emma? Is she hurt?" She felt the panic bubble up from her core, invading all her senses._

_"We don't know where Emma is, but__ we found a note. It's written to you."_

___"Read it to me." Nikita started shaking._

_Deputy Campbell read the few words to her. _

_Dear Nikita,  
__We have so much to catch up on. Tick Tock, watch the clock.  
Faithfully, Amanda.  
P.S. Game on._

Nikita felt weak and she leaned against Michael. She vaguely remembered calling out to him. She heard him on the phone asking for details and she saw the look of horror in his eyes.

Her voice cracked and she could barely articulate the words. "Michael, I just need to talk to her..."


	2. Game On

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Game On

* * *

_"I won't be gone long." Nikita batted her eyelashes at him. "I want to show Alex some pictures of the house and island. ____I'm meeting her for coffee, except_ I'll be having a tall glass of milk, but the point is, it's not anything dangerous or sinister."

_She stretched her back and muttered. "This pregnant glow thing is totally overrated. __Oh my __God, look at my boobs. They're huge!_" 

_Michael gave her a subtle look of disapproval mixed with amusement. "I think you should stay here and take it easy."_

_"That's all I've been doing and I'm going stir crazy. Following up on chatter Shadow-bot's flagged is so boring." __She glared at him. _"You can't keep me a prisoner, I know my rights." 

_He smirked at the nasty look she shot his way. __"That is a gross exaggeration, you're not a prisoner. I just want you to be safe." _

_"I still have two months, that's eight weeks or fifty-six day… at his rate, I'll be the size of a house, you want me to break it down in hours? Let me go while I'm still mobile. Even Dr. Hottie said we are all the picture of health. You can't expect me to stay confined inside of Division until they're born." She whined._

_"Why not? Nikita, I'm just concerned about you and the babies. I tell you what, why don't I come with you, or better yet, ask Alex to come here?" He tried to make it sound diplomatic, but knew it came out as patronizing._

_"No, that isn't necessary, __I know you care about me and the babies, but _I'll only be gone for two hours max. I need some air. I'll call you when I'm on my way back." She sighed to herself. "You know I don't need your permission. I'm a big girl."

_He gave her the once over. "Yes, that is true." He laughed to himself. _

_"I don't want to fight about this. I'm going to go meet Alex and I'll call you when I'm on my way back." She put her hands on her hips in a challenging manner._

_"Nikita..."_

_"Quit worrying, I'll be back soon." She gave him a peck on his cheek and walked toward the door. "__Don't wait up for me." She said sarcastically. _Michael was always the voice of reason she thought to herself, but this was absurd.

_He watched her walk out and felt conflicted. He knew it was probably nothing, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He pressed the button on his intercom. "Nikita's just left the building, Birkhoff, send Jackson to shadow her, but I don't want her to know that she's being followed." _

* * *

"We got something." Sean yelled over his shoulder. He was hunched over a work table in the office. "Emma's tracker just went live again, she's on the south part of the island at the passenger ferry terminal."

Michael was at the computer in two strides, scanning the monitor.

"Birkhoff, what the hell is going on?" He shouted into the speaker phone.

"It just popped, the signal's strong, but Michael, listen to me, this is way too convenient!" Birkhoff yelled back.

"Give me an aerial image." Michael demanded.

The bird's eye view, showed the shoreline with a small cove that resembled a chunk taken out with an ice cream scoop. As they zoomed in, a cluster of buildings surrounded by a parking lot came into view, then a crowd of restless passengers waiting to load in on the passenger ferry became evident.

"Pan to the left, get as close as you can to that signal." The image showed a group of people huddled together on a set of benches.

"She's got to be there, that's where her tracker is transmitting from. Sonya, make sure that ferry doesn't leave the island."

"He's right, this is way too easy." Michael hadn't noticed that Nikita walked up behind him. She folded her arms around herself.

He turned to face her. "I'm going in, I have to. I can't ignore this or let it slip by."

"Michael, let me come with you. I'll back you up." Nikita quietly pleaded.

He shook his head. "We stick to our deal, we don't go out together anymore. We don't take a chance that Emma could loose both her parents."

Nikita wiped the tears off of her face with the back of her hand, and nodded.

"I'll go." Sean intervened walking out of the room. "I'll brief our guys. We'll be ready in five."

"What do you think you'll find?" She asked with trepidation.

"I think it's a bread crumb at best, but we can't afford any missed opportunities."

"Michael, I'm scared." She looked up into his face, and saw the same fear in his eyes that lay in her own.

* * *

_"Yo Mikey, are you even listening to me?" Birkhoff leaned back in his chair and chided his colleague._

_Michael's head snapped around. "I heard you…" The stony look he'd perfected was etched into his face._

_Swiping at the curtain of hair that hung down in his eyes Birkhoff peered at him with a lot of attitude laced with empathy. "She's gonna be okay. Alex said she left fifteen minutes ago and Jackson checked in right after that. She's on her way back. She's probably in the bathroom. You know she spends a lot of time in there."_

_The hard edges of his face softened, but he failed at looking ambivalent and sounded a little too abrupt. "She's late, she should have called me."_

_"Listen up, if anyone can take care of herself, it's our girl." Birkhoff said as he tapped on his keyboard._

_"Our girl?" He stroked the stubble on his face before folding his arms. Michael stared hard at him._

_"Whoa, don't be getting all territorial, I know where I stand with both of you, well all four of you. If it makes you feel any better, I'll refer to you as our boy." He grumbled, leaning forward and attacking his keyboard._

_Michael was already calling her, but it went straight to voice mail. He pressed another speed dial number._

_"Alex, where's Nikita? She's not picking up." Michael asked trying to keep his voice calm._

_"She left about twenty minutes ago. By the way, when she got here, __she had already made Jackson_. She told him to stop at the store for her... cravings. What's going on?"

_"Maybe nothing. Thanks."_

_"Bring up her tracker, I want to know how far out she is." Michael asked looking over his shoulder._

_Birkhoff played his keyboard, the computer hummed but his silence was disturbing. "Reconfiguring… thinking…" he finally muttered under his breath._

___"Where is she?" _He bent down and hovered over Birkhoff searching his computer monitor for some answers._ His tone was even and a little too controlled._

_Birkhoff continued to type in a string of code. Offline._

_"Lemme try again... it's a glitch."_

_"Get Jackson on the line."_

_"Okay, okay, multi-tasking is my middle name. Jackson, the Dad-To-Be wants to talk to you. Do you copy me?"_

_Birkhoff swallowed hard and felt his stomach flip flop. "Jackson! Do you copy me?" There was no answer._

_Michael walked away._

_"Where the hell are you going?" Birkhoff looked up, concern wrinkled his brow._

_Michael growled back at him. "I'm going to go find her."_

* * *

"Nikita? Whatever you're thinking, it better be what Emma's getting for dinner." Alex looked at her with concern.

She looked back at her with gratitude. "Spaghetti sauce with alphabet pasta. She loves that." Tears spilled from her eyes.

"I know you're doing it. You're beating yourself up, but remember what you said to Michael about not apologizing for trying to be normal? It's so true. To be normal is to do normal things."

She nodded and brushed the tears off of her face. "There's nothing to do but wait."

Birkhoff's voice boomed over the speaker and it was filled with blind panic. "Nikita! We've got a live video link identifying herself as Amanda."

She rushed to the console and with shaky hands she prepared the computer to accept an uplink. Alex stood next to her.

The screen blinked and a course grainy picture appeared. After a few seconds, it cleared and came into focus.

"Breathe Nikita..." Alex whispered to her. She knew her friend's worst nightmare had come true.

Suddenly, the camera abruptly turned toward an overstuffed chair and the two people who sat in it.

"Whazz dat?" Emma pointed into to the camera. Amanda held her arms protectively around the little girl.

"Why that's Mommy, Emma. Say Hi to Mommy." Amanda said smugly. "Do you see her?"

"Mommy Mommy Hi Mommy" She babbled happily. Her brown hair was held back with barrettes and she wore denim jeans and a bright red t-shirt.

Nikita felt her heart squeeze, her chest ached from trying to keep her emotions in check. "Emma, Mommy's here. I am going to come get you. Okay? Emma, I love you!"

"Ya Mommy!" Emma looked up at Amanda and the black hearted woman smiled back at her.

"Joose? 'kay?" She asked cheerfully.

"Sure thing, we'll get you some juice." She sneered into the camera before reaching down and picking up a toddler's sippy cup.

Emma took hold of it in her chubby hands and took a healthy gulp. "Mo? Pease." The little girl said holding the cup up.

Amanda looked at her quizzically. "Oh, more please. She's so adorable and so well behaved."

"Emma? Mommy and Daddy will come get you soon." Nikita rasped out.

"Ma Daddy! Da da da!" Emma sang. "Daddy! Tick Tock!" She kicked her legs out waving her gold tennis shoes in front of her.

"What do you want?" Alex demanded. "What kind of person are you to take a child!"

She scoffed at Alex's words. "I think you know the answer to that."

"Don't worry, Emma and I are going to have some fun! Right?" She hugged the toddler affectionately.

Emma looked at Amanda and then into the camera. "Mommy? Sam-Man? Wanna see Sam-Man!" She stuck her bottom lip out and it began to tremble.

"Sam-Man is away, but he'll be back and when he does, he'll come and play with you." She struggled with keeping her composure, she could only think of her daughter worrying about Sam.

"She's such a dear, I wonder what it would have been like for her to have a brother?" Amanda said with malice.

Nikita choked on her own breath. "I'm going to come for you Amanda.. and if Emma is harmed in any way, I'm going to tear your…"

"Uh ah ah… not in front of the children." Amanda raised her eyebrows and winked. The screen went blank.

"Did you trace it?" Alex yelled out.

"She's got some signal scrambler. It's bouncing around in Buenos Aires. God Damn it! Now it's in Santiago." Birkhoff was breathing hard.

They were all reeling from the emotional beating they just endured.

"Nikita, this is good, Emma's alive." Alex said with assurance. "She's playing mind games, using your own feelings against you. Don't let her."

Nikita closed her eyes tight and when she opened them, the expression on her face was hard, menacing and cruel. "Okay, then let's give Amanda what she wants... GAME ON!"


	3. Hide and Seek

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Hide and Seek

* * *

"Mac stays with the vehicle and keeps an eye on the road. Gentry backs us up but stays out of of sight." The two men nodded their heads, they had proven themselves to be reliable, competent and loyal employees of Michael and Nikita. Sean took the lead, he knew Michael was capable, but this was too personal and his judgment could be compromised.

The four men were an imposing group as they stepped out of the black SUV. One, a seasoned Black Ops operative, another an ex-Navy Seal, and two former CIA agents who were quiet and intimidating.

"Birkhoff, talk to me." Sean asked through his Com as he followed Michael down the walkway to the ferry dock.

"Signal is sill strong, two hundred fifty meters straight ahead."

Michael's gait was relaxed, a stranger might think he appeared calm, unless they were to look into his eyes. They belonged to a man filled with anger and on the verge of being out-of-control. There was only one other time anyone would have seen him like this.

He walked toward a group of people who were milling about. The passenger ferry was docked and waiting to load. His eyes scanned the cluster of men and women looking for any sign that would lead him to Emma.

"Excuse me please." He spoke without a hint of the seething rage he was keeping bottled up inside of him. "I'm supposed to meet a family friend and my daughter here. Have you seen a woman with auburn hair and a little girl? She's two and a half and is wearing a red t-shirt."

A few of them shook their heads and no one came forward. Michael searched each face but saw nothing unusual, until an elderly gray haired woman with a shopping bag waved at him. She pulled out a small denim jacket trimmed with sequins. "Does this belong to her?"

Michael eyes grew wide. "Yes." His voice was barely audible. "Where did you find it?"

"I found it tucked under that bench and was going to give it to the attendant on the ferry."

He took the jacket from her and she stepped back in alarm when she saw the expression on his face.

Michael turned his back to the group and walked away while searching the pockets. He froze when he found a small piece of paper. He unfolded it, read it and closed his eyes. His stance was rigid, his hands were squeezed into white knuckled fists and his outrage engulfed him.

There was only one way to end this. When Amanda was dead, and he would feel no remorse, when he pulled the trigger. He composed himself before handing the note to Sean and storming off.

Dear Michael,  
Do you hear it? The clock is ticking.  
See you soon,  
Amanda  
P.S. Winner takes all

* * *

_When she swallowed her mouth was dry and her throat scratchy. Her eyelids felt thick and heavy. It took more effort than it should to open them and when they finally parted, her vision was fuzzy. She was laying on a cold cement floor. Her body ached and she winced when she struggled to push herself up to a sitting position. Pain and distress pounded in her head and layers of fog clouded her thoughts._

_A jolt of adrenaline, spiked by fear shot through her and she clutched her belly. Her babies...were they all right? She told herself to breathe, to calm herself and to focus. She was relieved when she felt a little kick and her abdomen rippled under her fingertips. Michael's face flashed through her head and she knew he would be concerned and maybe even angry with her, but they would work that out later. How she ended up here and how to get out was the priority._

_Concentrate. What had happened to her and what was the last thing she remembered? She had met Alex for coffee and they had called out the agent Michael sent out to tail her. The three of them laughed, Jackson was embarrassed to have been caught so easily, but told them there was no shame in it because it was Nikita. She sent him on his way, told him to stop at the store for candy. Chocolate bars for her and Red Vines for Nerd._

_She showed Alex the images on her computer tablet and they both fussed over them. They were of an island, an hour ferry boat ride from the city. There was a house on ten acres that could have a state of the art security system and lots of room for their new family. This would be a new start and they had two important reasons to begin again. She was glad to see Alex, but mindful of the time and Michael's feelings, so she hugged her friend good bye and headed back to Division._

_Nikita knew her days of driving were numbered, she was already uncomfortable and in another couple of weeks she wouldn't fit behind the steering wheel. She reached for her phone to check in with Michael, when her front tire blew out. The car swerved and came to a stop on the side of the road. She got out to check the damage and wondered if she could manage changing it herself. She decided it was a bad idea and was about to call Michael, when Jackson pulled up behind her. She felt relief when she saw him and didn't have to call in and hear 'I told you so.'_

_They decided to take his SUV back to Division and he would come back for her car. She walked toward his vehicle and felt an inexplainable prickle on the back of her neck. Her intuition told her to be wary, she placed her hand on her gun, but before she could pull it out, everything went dark._

_It was difficult for her to get up, her balance was off and her limbs felt numb. She pressed herself against the wall for support. Strangely enough she felt glass under her palms, and as her eyes began to focus, she was startled to find she was leaning against a mirror. She spun around and was surrounded by what seemed like an infinite number of mirrors, all of which had a battered Nikita looking back at her. Her heart beat against her ribs, the room started closing in on her and her head began to spin. Nikita closed her eyes tight and when the vertigo subsided, she shut out the eerie sensation of being trapped by her own reflection by looking down at the floor. _

_It only took her a moment to understand what was going on. As a new recruit, she had admitted to Amanda, her childhood fear of going to amusement parks and carnivals. Waking up in a House of Mirrors was a sick way of torturing her. _

_Nikita wasn't a child and she knew better, but she kept her eyes on the floor and reached out with her hand and felt the cool glass against her fingers. She inched her way forward, until she found the beveled edge of the mirror. She knew to escape from a maze, she needed to keep to her right and follow the glass without lifting her hand. If she were lucky it could lead her to the outside wall._

_After carefully picking her way through the labyrinth, she jumped at a loud bang and the sound of breaking glass. A smoke alarm began to trill and it's endless high pitched noise made her nervous and anxious. She knew she had to hurry when she smelled smoke. A few minutes later, it swirled above her and she dropped down on her hands and knees and crawled away from it. There was another bang and more glass shattering and then she felt a whoosh of hot air hit her in the face. She heard the low roar and crackle of flames, and knew she was heading right into a fire._

* * *

They had returned to the house to find Nikita crazed with anger. Michael demanded to know what had set her off, but after he viewed the video of Amanda and Emma that Birkhoff had taped, he knew exactly what she was feeling.

They took a moment to talk, to make sure they were on the same page. There wasn't much to discuss, they knew what they had to do.

"Nikita, it's been seven hours since Sheriff Campbell called. How is it possible, that she could have made it off the island, re-routed Emma's tracker to the south end and sent us a live video link?" Sean wanted them to think about what they were doing.

"Alex is right, she's taunting you both, trying to get into your heads." He added with cool detachment. "Emma is alive and Amanda won't harm her."

"How can you be so sure?" Nikita had pulled out her black leather jacket lined with kevlar and changed into a sturdy pair of boots. From the weapons room, she picked out three of her favorite Glocks and loaded up multiple clips for each one.

Sean followed her to and from their arsenal of weapons. "Because she wants to torture you, and if she's de.." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "If Emma's not alive, she has no leverage, no power over either of you."

Michael took his Beretta and tucked it into the holster strapped to his shoulder. He tucked a smaller one into the belt on the small of his back. "Gentry, have the chopper brought down, we're headed for the mainland." Michael said through clenched teeth. He gave Sean a steely look. "We don't have a choice, we have to do this."

Sean knew arguing with them was futile. "Where are you going to start your search?"

Nikita packed a duffle with an assault weapon and ammunition. "Birkhoff analyzed the video and filtered out their voices. He amplified the background noise and you can hear traffic, city traffic."

"Don't ask me how she did it, but they're in the city." Nikita packed a knife into her boot. "And yes, I know she's goading me on, she wants Michael and I to suffer again, but this time I can fight for our child. This time she's not going to get away with this."

"Nikita, we're going with you." Alex stated. "We will back you up and we will find her." She looked at Sean. "We have to go."

Sean looked at them, he understood he wasn't the voice of reason, he was the voice of resistance. "Lets do this!"

The sound of the helicopter beating against the sky hovered over them. Alex and Sean scrambled to get more gear together and the four of them armed with weapons and ammunitions raced to the rooftop. They loaded themselves into the helicopter and it rose up into the sky.

Twenty minutes later, they had landed on the roof top of the Union Building. Sonya was there to greet them. She hugged Nikita reassuringly and they left for the offices that housed their security business.

Birkhoff sat at his work station, he knew exactly how to orchestrate his network of servers and computers and he was hard at work. He looked up at his long time friends and was going to muster up a smile for them, but instead he looked shocked and disturbed.

"You guys... I've got Ryan on the line."

"Ryan? Is it Sam? What's happened to him?" Nikita called out.

"It's not Sam, he's in stable condition. Nikita, Michael, we have a much more serious problem. You have to know that you have every resource at your disposal on this."

"Cut to the chase." Michael commanded abruptly.

"A call came in telling us we need to evacuate the premises. A bomb has been placed someplace within the building. It's big enough to destroy the area around it."

"Why are you calling us?" Michael demanded.

"Because we had a security breach and three of our men are down, including one who we now know was an inside man for Amanda." He paused for a half a second. "Before he died, he told us a few things. If you believe what he says, than your daughter is here at Division."

"Search the premises, if she's there, you have to find her." Nikita shouted at him.

"He also told us the detonator is strapped to Emma. When we searched his body, we also found a note."

"Read it!" Nikita had a hard edge to her voice.

Hello again,  
Here's where you get to play Hide & Seek.  
I'm counting to ten,  
and watch the clock or you all loose.  
Fondly,  
Amanda  
P.S. Emma has a new necklace  
Only Daddy can disarm it


	4. Nap Time

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Nap Time

* * *

_The road to and from Division is moderately traveled and unmemorable to most, but Birkhoff knew better. His intel gathering arsenal included surveillance tapes that were installed under Percy's direction. _

_'Best to know who's coming to visit or trying to get away.' Division's former leader had declared. He had cameras mounted on the telephone poles and in trees that lined the two lane highway. There was even equipment mounted on the property of unsuspecting homeowners._

_After Michael left in search of Nikita, Birkhoff was already downloading the video looking for anomalies. __Near road marker number twenty eight, a power company utility van was parked just out of sight. To most, it was what it appeared to be, but to a covert operative, it was a billowing red flag. He studied the footage and saw Nikita's car was a half mile away driving towards it and as she got closer, her front tire blew out. _

_She swerved and her car skidded to a stop. She got out of the vehicle to inspect the damage and was looking less than happy. Her pregnant belly made it hard for her to bend down and see how bad it was. Nikita had a frustrated look on her face until a black SUV pulled up and Jackson hopped out of the vehicle with a grin. _

_Birkhoff paused the image and zoomed in. This was no accident, a spike had been planted on the road. He zoomed out and played the tape and watched as three men got out of the utility van. He already knew these guys weren't there to fix a power line or look at junction boxes. _

_She and Jackson exchanged a few words and Nikita retrieved her computer tablet and purse from her car and walked toward the SUV. She had always been known for her uncanny intuition and Birkhoff could clearly see she was reaching for her gun, when she collapsed and fell unconscious. Jackson went to her aid and the three men from the utility van attacked him. He received a bullet in his chest and a stab wound in his back for his efforts._

_He saw no blood or evidence that Nikita had been shot with a conventional gun, it must have been some kind of tranquilizer that knocked her out. The men lifted Nikita up and deposited her into the van and it sped off, but not surprisingly, Birkhoff was able to track the vehicle._

_Michael spoke to him over his Com unit. He was always stoic and in control but finding Nikita gone and Jackson clinging to life had clearly affected him. "__Birkhoff, I need medical. Jackson's alive, but he needs immediate attention." _

_"They're on their way, ETA three minutes." Bikhoff answered. Michael knelt next to the young agent and kept pressure on the bullet wound that pierced his chest. _

_He had left Division and hoped to find Nikita and give her a piece of his mind. Instead he found her vehicle abandoned, her gun, purse and computer tablet left next to her car and the agent he assigned to follow her critically injured._

_"Michael..." Birkhoff knew the information he had was either good news or bad news. "The surveillance tape shows the road was spiked and a utility van was hiding in plain sight. Nikita went down, but there was no blood, it must have been a tranq, Jackson intervened and they got him, left him for dead."_

_"They took her? Did you see or track their vehicle?" Michael demanded._

_"Yeah, and I'm sure she's alive. I've got a line on where they were heading. The time stamp on the video shows they have about a twenty-six minute head start on you."_

_A van pulled up and Division's medical unit, including Dr. Keller converged on the two men. _

_"No exit wound from the bullet. He's got a deep laceration on his lower back." Michael let them take over._

_"Nikita?" The doctor asked as he and one of his medics worked on Jackson. He was clearly concerned for her and the twins she carried._

_Michael shook his head, he grabbed a towel to try and clean the blood off of his hands. "I'm going to go get her."_

* * *

"Deja vu." Sonya whispered.

Birkhoff shrugged. "Not the class reunion I was hoping for. Weird, and not so wonderful."

The two followed Alex, Sean, Nikita and Michael as they headed toward Operations. Three years ago they had left Division to start their lives over. Being back in the underground black ops facility brought them back to their beginnings.

The six of them had left the city just minutes after being told about Amanda's note. A private charter got them to the east coast in record time.

Ryan Fletcher was the first to greet them. "Nikita, Michael, we've started the search in sub level six and haven't found anything. We can't be sure Emma's here."

Birkhoff and Sonya wasted no time and were setting themselves up. Alex and Sean hung back, waiting for more intel and Nikita and Michael's instructions. The little girl's parents looked like the weight of the world was on their shoulders.

"This is where Amanda wants us." Nikita stated, her emotions were pulled taught, and like a rubber band, she felt like she might snap at anytime.

"She brought us back here knowing this was the only way we would come back." Michael's grim scowl relayed more than any words could.

"She's manipulating all of us." Ryan looked contrite. "I can't turn a blind eye to her threat. I'm evacuating personnel on a voluntary bases."

They all knew the search for Emma would be hampered without Division's man power, but no one was surprised by the news.

Sean spoke to Alex quietly. "A toddler doesn't just get dropped off and hidden away without making a huge fuss. You have any idea where she could be?"

"You're right. Emma may be sweet and trusting, but she's not going to let a stranger stuff her in a closet or locker without making a lot of noise."

"Amanda's mole, how long had he been here and what was his assignment?" Sean questioned.

"Ryan punched a few keys and an image and profile came up. He was recruited out of a maximum security prison in Montana a year after Birkhoff and Nikita were brought in. He was trained to work in building maintenance and weapons repair."

"I remember him." Birkhoff chimed in. "He was always kissing Percy and Amanda's ass. The guy was a sheep."

"What was his current assignment? What did he have access to?" Alex could see Sean trying to piece together a psychological puzzle.

"He was security detail, outside of number three mechanical, he would have had access to entry points."

"What's in number three mechanical?" Sean asked.

"That's the HVAC control room among other things." Michael muttered.

Alex looked at Nikita, her eyes wide with alarm. "The air vents..."

Birkhoff suddenly turned a shade of gray. "For the love of... Nikita! Michael! We have another transmission coming in! It's a pre-recorded audio."

"Put it ON!" Michael commanded. "Put it on speaker!"

Each of them felt dread envelop them as the speakers in Division crackled.

"Hay Daadeee! I go see Sam-Man! Mandy sez Tick Tock!" Emma's little voice came over the speaker. The child sounded tired, confused and sad. "Mommy? I wah my Mommy! Momm..." The transmission abruptly ended.

They all looked at each other, a mixture of relief and utter despair at hearing her cry out. Tears streamed down Nikita's face at hearing her baby calling out for her, but knowing she was still alive gave her hope. That contradictory mix of feelings changed to utter loathing when they heard Amanda's sultry voice.

"Hello everyone, we put Emma down for her nap. When she wakes up, she'll want her mommy and daddy. Oh, and by the way, watch the clock, you haven't much time. How much, is for me to know and you to find out."

* * *

_T____he crackling sound and smell of burning timbers assaulted her nose and her lungs. _Nikita turned away from the rush of hot air coming toward her. Still on her hands and knees she rounded another corner, the sweat ran down her temples as she tried to shield herself from the heat. She coughed as she tried to breathe. She couldn't cover her mouth and nose from the smoke, she needed both hands to navigate herself around._  
_

_The smoke was thick enough that it made her eyes water, she rounded one more mirror and placed her palm against a cool surface and she knew she found the outside wall. Nikita got her feet under her and pushed herself up awkwardly. She inched her way along the wall until she found a crack. She ran her fingers up and down it and knew she had found a door and searched for a way to open it._

_There was no door handle only a sliding barrel lock. She worked on opening it, but the bolt was stuck. She took her shoe off and used the heel and beat on it. The smoke had become thick enough that she gagged and coughed._

_She thought about Michael and her unborn babies. She thought about Alex and Birkhoff and then she thought about Amanda. _

_"NO!" She gasped. With what little strength and resolve she had, she hit the bolt and felt it move. She continued to hit it... once, twice and on the third try it opened. _

_She knew the rush of air and oxygen could cause the fire behind her to explode, but she had no choice. She threw the door open and a firey inferno rushed against her back. She swayed back and forth, grabbing the door frame for support. Her head ached with confusion and she could hardly breathe. Fighting to gain her equilibrium, she looked out. There was no landing to step onto, no stairs or ladder to lead her away from the fire at her back. She clutched her belly and cried out when she realized the ground was at least twenty feet below her._


	5. 24:00 Midnight

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

24:00/Midnight

* * *

The air vents.

When she was still an agent for Division and under Percy's thumb, Nikita discovered one of the ventilation ducts led to a way out of Division. She told Alex about it and when Nikita had been captured after going rogue, the young recruit planted an explosive in it to help Nikita escape. The vent led to a ten story high air shaft that was at least twenty feet in diameter.

Everyone in Division knew about, it had become infamous, not because it was an ex-fil point, but because it was the site where Nikita had dropped Percy to his most deserving demise.

What everyone also knew is the area had been completely sealed off, it was useless as a way in or out, even for Amanda. The rest of the ventilation system within the facility was a mechanics nightmare of duct work. Some of it easily accessible, some almost impossible to penetrate without going through the ceiling. Most of them were too small for a child Emma's size to fit through.

"You really think she could be in one of those air vents?" Sonya asked with a hint of skepticism.

"I don't know, but we have to start someplace. We need the drawings for the HVAC system. We have to find out where the most easily accessible vents are located." Nikita had an edge to her voice that grated on all of their ears.

"Tapping into Division's mainframe..." Birkhoff mumbled.

Ryan looked surprised if not a bit disturbed. "How do you know the codes? How can you get past our firewall?"

Birkhoff smirked. "It's all good, I created a bridge in the system just for emergencies and this qualifies as an emergency."

"I have it..." Sonya announced. "I'm formatting the plans so that any vents that are eight inches or less in size are omitted." She tapped away and stared at the computer monitor in front of her, while the rest of the group watched the plans on the wall screen. "The ones marked in red are your best possibilities."

Alex pulled Sean back. "We're on our own, look around, almost everyone else has left." The personnel that kept Operations humming had been given the choice to leave or stay. Only a handful of them and Ryan remained. "You really think Amanda could take down the facility?"

Sean shook his head. "I don't know, but we're dealing with a lunatic and Ryan knows we would be fools to underestimate her."

"We need coms and we need to split up." Michael demanded.

Birkhoff opened up the metal case he had brought with him and passed a com unit, a small head lamp and a Swiss Army knife to each of them. "Always be prepared..." he said under his breath.

Nikita looked exhausted but there was fire in her eyes. "This is Amanda and we know what she's capable of. She wants us to take the blame for whatever heinous act she's created. She wants us to feel we failed. Michael and I have lived through her twisted mind games and we are not going to let her victimize us again." She looked at her friends who had become her family. "If we ask you to do something, you need to listen to us, you need to trust us."

The group looked at her warily. The consequences had never been this personal and Nikita couldn't hide her anxiety, but they gave her their affirmation, they were with her and Michael one hundred percent.

"Call out to her. Tell her that we have dinner ready and that Sam wants to see her." Michael said downloading the mechanical drawings to his smart phone.

They stopped again and looked at each other.

"Sam? Who's watching over Sam?" Nikita asked.

"Dr. K is still here." Ryan said. "Sam should be coming out of it any time. His head injury wasn't as severe as we first thought, Doc found a large amount of Ketamine in his tox screen."

Ryan looked conflicted. "There are still a dozen of us who have staid, but you need to know, if I feel it's necessary, I have an ex-fil plan for us. If Amanda has truly planted explosives inside of Division, I have a responsibility to these people to get us out, and I can't willingly leave them without a leader."

They all understood and in many ways they were glad to hear him admit it. Division was no longer the same as when Percy and Amanda had run it. The latter would let their people be killed, they found collateral damage acceptable.

Birkhoff looked antsy. He knew Sonya was more than capable of running logistics for them and he wanted to be useful.

"Go!" Sonya told him. "Go and help them, I'll be here, just tell me what you need."

Birkhoff spoke to her just above a whisper. "If Ryan says the word, I need you to get out. I need you Sonya... " He gave Ryan a sideways glance and saw him nod his head.

"I'll search Operations and level one." Ryan yelled as the others separated. "Good luck!"

* * *

_Michael saw the steady cloud of smoke rise into the sky. He punched the accelerator and his car surged forward. The coordinates Birkhoff gave him led to the county fairgrounds. When September arrived, the area would be filled with people, animals and sugary foods, but this time of year it was deserted. The gates and buildings were locked up and the amusement rides shut down._

_He didn't need to follow directions, the source of the fire guided him and his stomach clenched with fear as he drove closer. When he encountered a reinforced chain link fence, t__here was no time for finesse and subterfuge. He took his gun and shot the locks out and drove right through the gate and headed straight toward the cloud of smoke._

_Michael quickly assessed the situation. __"Birkhoff, we need the fire department here." The blaze inside the building was out of control._

_"Someone called it in but the trucks were stopped, their tires blown. Those goons must have circled back and scattered spikes on the road? Have you found Nikki?"_

_"Negative." Michael scowled at the news and left his vehicle. "Get me some back up!"_

_His eyes watered as he walked closer to the building. He used his arm to cover his face and knew he had to hurry, he would eventually be overcome by the smoke. He rounded the building and his world stopped. He had been trained to deal with his fear, but this he could not deal with._

_Nikita was trying to climb down the side of the building. She was clinging to a down spout and trying to find her footing. Under normal circumstances she might have jumped the twenty feet and hoped for the best, but being seven months pregnant with twins, she knew she couldn't risk it. This was her only alternative and it was a bad one. She could feel the heat from the fire and knew she was running out of time, but she also knew she couldn't give up. A crack in the masonry served as another toe hold and she inched herself down another foot. Her arms supported most of her weight and she did her best to keep her balance._

_Through the roar of flames from the fire, she thought she heard her name being called. She was afraid to look down, but when she heard Michael call out to her again, she turned and saw him. Her heart filled with gratitude, relief and hope. She carefully fought to find another place to anchor her other foot, and her bare toes found another indentation in the wall of the building. She pushed against it for leverage and used her upper body to lower herself down. _

_Michael looked around for anything that might help him reach her, and cursed to himself while running back to his car. Inside the trunk was a grappling hook and cable shooter. He grabbed it and ran back to where Nikita was clinging to the wall. As he approached, he heard an explosion coming from inside the building. The ground shook and so did Nikita. He ran towards her and watched as she started to fall, but she managed to catch herself and hung on precariously._

_"NIKITA! THE CABLE!" Michael yelled as he shot the hook up towards the opening on the side of the building. It anchored itself and he pulled on the cable to make sure it would hold._

"GRAB THE CABLE" He shouted.

_The smoke in her lungs made her weak and the twins she carried had changed her from being capable to vulnerable. She knew she had to try, so she reached out with one hand and grabbed for the cable, but she missed. _

_Michael, terrified beyond words, watched her fall from the building._

* * *

"Remember, this is a game to her, she's feeding us clues, but she doesn't intend for us to win." Nikita told the others through their com units.

"Copy that." Alex answered. She was on sub-level one and was studying the drawings and looking up at one of the vents that had been singled out. "Emma? Say Exey if you can hear me." She yelled.

"Operations and Level one is clear." Ryan added over his com. He had checked the three points that might be a possibility and all had turned up empty.

"Emma! EMMA! It's mommy, can you hear me?" Nikita called out. "Emma honey, don't be afraid, I'm coming for you. Emm..." She abruptly stopped.

"Nikita? Report." Michael asked in a tight voice. "Nikita? Answer me!" He immediately felt that undeniable twinge that something was wrong.

"I'm all right." Her voice wavered. "Michael I found Emma's hair barrette on level two. It's next to the vent that leads to the intake shaft."

"I'm on my way. Everyone sweep the floors you're on and meet us..." before he could finish, Sean interrupted him.

"Michael, Nikita... I've found her other hair clip on sub-level three. It was just inside the vent. EMMA? It's Sean, don't be afraid... EMMA?"

"Christ! Alex, go check it out." Michael directed her with more than a hint of frustration.

"Copy that." Alex responded. Before she reached the elevator, she took one more look around and heard one of the vents rattling. It was so subtle, she might have passed it up again, but her intuition told her not to ignore it. She dragged a chair over to access it. Tucked between the vent cover and the wall was a small piece of paper.

Alex felt panic stricken. "I'm still on sub-level two and I've found a note! Listen up!"

I'm impressed. You've found out  
what I already know.  
24:00/Midnight  
All my best, Amanda  
P.S. tick tick tick

"Midnight... the detonator must be set to go off at midnight." Alex shouted to the others.

Michael looked at his watch, it was almost eleven thirty. If their deadline was midnight, they were running out of time.


	6. Tick, Tick, Ticking

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

"Tick, tick, ticking..."

* * *

_It was like watching a slow-motion movie, she reached out for the cable, her hand brushed past it, her fingers were on it and then they weren't. Nikita was falling, her arms flailed out and she flung herself back toward the drain pipe and grabbed for it. She managed to hang on for a few seconds, her legs dangling down like a marionette. She fought to find her footing, but she cried out and arched her back in pain. And then she let go._

_Without a thought to what he was doing, Michael ran the few steps toward the building and dove under her and rolled. His arms were out to catch her and he managed to break her fall._

_He wrapped his arms around her, his pounding heart battled with his ability to breathe. He heard her gasp for air and he struggled to untangle himself from her. He pushed himself up to a sitting position before pulling her into his arms and looking into her face. "Nikita!"_

_She tried to speak, to say something, anything, but the only sound that came out of her was moan of despair. She had endured a lot of mental and physical pain in her life, but this wasn't just about her, it was about Michael and their unborn babies._

_The sound of timbers collapsing above them reminded him they were in danger from the raging fire. He smoothed the hair away from her face and kept his voice as even as possible. "We have to move, we're not safe."_

_She knew he was speaking to her, trying to tell her something, but she couldn't quite make it out. When he jostled her, she seized up as a stabbing pain shot through her._

_Another explosion shook them and he was forced to run from the burning building when bits of charred wood rained down on them. When he reached his car he cursed to himself, she whimpered in pain while he tried to open the door. He laid her down gently and saw his hands were covered in blood and it was seeping through her pants. He stifled his panic and opened the door and picked her up again and placed her on the back seat._

_"Michael... save... save the babies." She whispered. _

_He ran around and slipped into the driver's seat, started the car and took off._

* * *

"Sean?! Did you find anything?"

By the time Alex had reached Sub-level three, Sean had his head inside the mental vent. She could hear him calling out to the toddler, his voice echoed within the sheet metal passageway.

"Emma, are you there? Exey and I want to take you to see mom and dad. Emma?"

The sound of his voice calling out to the child made her eyes glaze over with tears. She knew he was kind and compassionate, but seeing it in action made her emotional. She loved him so much.

He was much too large to crawl into the vent but he still used his head lamp to light the inside of it.

"Sean, let me try." Alex touched his shoulder and he shifted away from the vent. "Help me up."

He boosted her up and she climbed into the vent, and like a snake, she slithered through it. "Emma, if you can hear me, say something!" But the only sounds were her own voice bouncing off of the metal.

"Alex? Come on out of there, Amanda would never make it this easy. I mean think about it." He called to her.

She scooted herself backwards and when her feet and legs emerged, Sean pulled her out and into his arms.

"I checked out every vent on sub-level one and besides the note, there was nothing." Her eyes went to her wrist watch. If she's telling the truth, we have a little less than thirty minutes to find her.

Their Com units crackled in their ears. "I'm with Nikita, nothing on level two. She's crawled through every ventilation duct and Emma's not here." There was a slight hitch to Michael's voice. He had a gift for keeping his fear hidden and compartmentalized, but this might very well be the exception.

"Levels one, two and three are clear." Nikita's voice was hoarse from calling out to Emma. At one point, she realized she was screaming her baby's name and knew she was loosing it. Michael had found her on the floor against the wall. One of them had to be strong, this time it would be him, next time it would be her and in the final hour it would be both of them.

"Sub-level one and three are clear. Birkhoff? What's your status?" Sean asked.

It was silent. An uncomfortable feeling washed over them. "Sonya!" Michael called out. "Sonya, where's Birkhoff, he's not answering."

More silence.

"Ryan?" Nikita yelled out. "Where are you..." She never finished her thought, she only looked up at Michael and saw the alarm in his eyes.

"God Damn it! Sean! Alex!" He called out in frustration.

"We're on our way to sub-level two to find Birkhoff." Alex said breathlessly. They were already in the elevator and punching the buttons.

Michael grabbed Nikita's hand and together they ran toward the other bank of elevators. "We're headed for Level one."

* * *

They stepped off of the elevator, their guns held up in front of them, ready to defend themselves and take down any threat. It was eerily quiet in Operations except for the hum of the computers and overhead lights.

Besides looking like a ghost world, nothing seemed to be tampered with or out of place except Ryan and Sonya were nowhere to be seen.

"Jesus Christ!" Michael muttered. "Sean, Alex... Sonya and Ryan are gone."

Nikita circled the floor and swept the area with her eyes. She ran to the computer Sonya had been working on and froze. "MICHAEL! Oh my God!

He rushed to her side. Sonya's monitor had a video on it that was paused. He used the mouse to play it.

Nikita turned white. "It's on mute." She reached over and turned up the volume.

The video was of Emma, curled up on a small blanket and sound asleep. They knew she was alive, they could see her little body expand with every breath and Nikita recognized her eyelids were moving, she was dreaming. They could hear the small sounds toddler's make when they're asleep. They came from deep within her and they could clearly hear her little squeaks and tiny whimpers.

The camera zoomed in on her and Emma had a metal collar around her neck. It looked as if it were snapped into place, but what really caught their attention was the display, like a stop watch with red numbers counting down on it. This must be the detanator.

As the camera zoomed back, it was clear that she had been placed inside a box like structure made out of metal. The video cut out, and then it focused on the back of a woman's head. Amanda turned toward the camera, every hair on her head was meticulously in place and her lips were painted a matte red.

"If I've timed this right, Emma's still asleep and the clock is tick tick ticking." She smiled from ear to ear and raised her eyebrows.

"Since I'm not there, I'm not sure if this is appropriate to ask, but where ever did the others go?" Amanda wore the smug expression like a perfect mask.

"Oh yes, and remember, only daddy can release the detonator and stop that dreaded explosion from crippling Division and killing you all."

* * *

_The car accelerated through the fairgrounds toward the exit. Michael used every fiber in his body to keep himself together. He knew he had no choice, he had to keep calm and focused, but the thought of loosing her, loosing their family was as close to hell as he could remember. An image flashed through his mind. Elizabeth and Hayley sitting in the beat up car... the feeling of betrayal... watching his life destroyed in front of his eyes in a fiery explosion. This was his past and the horror of loosing those he loved again would be unbearable._

_He looked over his shoulder at Nikita, her breathing was labored and blood was pooling around her. He inwardly screamed out in frustration. "NO!"_

_It was a reflex that made him slam his foot on the brakes and swerve to miss the utility van that was coming at him. The action caused the car to stall. He had lost his gun in the chaos, his hands and face were covered with soot from the fire and were sticky from Nikita's blood. His car was his only weapon and when he tried to start the engine, it only made grinding sounds. He pounded his hands on the steering wheel, he wouldn't allow himself to be defeated, he would never give up this fight._

_The man in the driver's seat of the van laid on his horn and it startled Michael enough that he looked up. He saw Division's doctor, his arms up in the air looking at him and yelling at the top of his lungs. Through the haze of devastation, Michael finally heard him._

_"Nikita! Where is she?"_

_"Here! She's here!" He exited the car and opened the back door to his car._

_Dr. Keller's heart sank when he saw her. She was hemorrhaging and as white as a marble statue._

_"MICHAEL! Open the doors to the van!" Keller knew this was grim, he felt uncertainty, but he decided right then and there, she wasn't done yet. He knew she had overcome so much in her life, just like they all had, and he wasn't going to let her die._

_He picked her up and ran toward the back of the van and placed her inside where there was more room for him to work. "Front seat! My bag" he yelled out to Michael, he had taken off his coat and placed it next to Nikita._

_Michael appeared with his black duffel bag._

_"Get her undressed, we have to do a C-Section." He searched through the bag and extracted, latex gloves, a leather case with frightening looking surgical tools and a wrapped syringe. He tore the plastic wrap off of it with his teeth, filled the syringe with a vial from the bag and flicked it with his finger tips before injecting Nikita._

_"Michael! You have to help me, I can't do this alone." He spoke through gritted teeth and tossed him a pair of gloves. "I need you to do this."_

_Michael looked at him frantically. "We have to save her. The babies?" Michael choked out the words and pulled on the gloves._

_The doctor pulled a set of surgical clamps out, a bottle of bentadine and proceeded to wipe it over her abdomen. "I'm going to make an incision, when I tell you, you have to use the clamps to keep it open. We're taking the babies. It's the only way to see how badly she's hurt. We have to do this or they will all die."_

_Michael swallowed hard. He had been exposed to a lot, but this was Nikita and his babies, this was his life._

_Keller pulled out a scalpel._


	7. Voices in My Head

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Voices in His Head

* * *

Sam was African-American, six foot four and two hundred and fifty pounds of bulk and muscle. He had served as an U.S. Navy Seal and if his missions hadn't been off-book, he would be known as a hero. His age and an encounter with a bayonet in Somalia had ended his active military career and he opted for a new beginning.

He found it in the CIA, where he became an expert on global clandestine black ops organizations. It was interesting and challenging but he found the boundaries frustrating. He believed the agency's bureaucracy hampered his ability to make the right kind of decisions. He'd already made one big change, so leaving the CIA wasn't difficult.

What he realized, he had limited options. He couldn't list his skills as bullet points on a resume and his work history was basically one big censored document. He was at loose ends until his long time colleague, Sean Pierce had offered him a job working security.

Sean had made the introductions to Nikita and Michael and Sam reveled in the fact that he knew the answers to the questions they asked. They asked him if he knew how to sweep for bugs, what martial arts he preferred, the kind of cover stories he favored and if he knew of Gogol and what he thought of them.

When he answered their questions without missing a beat, they wanted to know what kind of weapons training he had, if he'd ever been on covert and deep cover missions, if he knew how to set up a safe-house and if he could perform field surgery with a pen knife.

Satisfied with both round one and two, they started up on round three. They wanted to know if he liked children. (He answered yes, but he'd met some parents he despised. Nikita smirked and Michael chuckled in agreement.) They asked if he knew how to say no to a two year old without starting a temper tantrum and he admitted he didn't. Then they asked if he had ever fixed sandwiches with the crust cut off or knew how to make hot cocoa tepid so as not to burn a little one's tongue.

Sam liked them, he knew Michael's background with Naval Intelligence and his role in Division and Nikita was the stuff legends are made of. They liked Sam, but there was one more important person to consult. Emma was the one who would be asking the hard questions.

Michael had retrieved the toddler from her room. She was already grumpy and when she found a stranger talking to her mother, she hid her face in her father's shoulder.

"Emma, this is Sam. Sam this is Emma." Nikita said politely. The little girl peeked out at Sam.

"Hello Emma." Sam smiled at her, but kept his distance. Instead he asked Nikita about the property and the security system they had in place. He asked her about the office they kept in the city and if Shadow Walker was real or just an urban myth.

Little Emma watched stealthily and carefully as the big man talked to her mother. Because he didn't get in her face with endearing sayings and silly questions, she was less out of sorts, and dying to be the center of attention.

"Sam?" Emma said so quietly that they barely heard her. "SAM!" Emma shouted out.

Nikita and Michael looked startled and Sam looked amused. "Emma," the big man said kindly. "Would you like me to read you a story?"

Emma gave him a scrutinizing look. "Wha storeee?" She demanded to know.

Nikita and Michael looked at each other. This could very well be the deal breaker.

Sam cleared his throat and said tentatively. "How about Angelina Ballerina? Your friend Alex said it's your favorite."

Emma's face lit up and she grinned. "Exey wanna be a ball'rina! Okay, you wan some joose?"

Everyone smiled with relief, the interview had been a success.

* * *

Sam rarely felt self loathing the way he did when the box truck broadsided their vehicle and ran them off the road. His memories were spotty, but he remembered looking back at Emma who was still strapped in her car seat, wailing with fear at what had just happened.

"Emma, we are okay. We had an accident, but we are all right." He said to her, and that was the last thing he remembered.

He was barely coherent, his thoughts were jumbled and disjointed and he was unable to react when the fight broke out around him. He heard items crashing on the floor, glass breaking, furniture being over turned and when it settled down, he felt another sharp stab in his shoulder and he thought about Emma calling out to him "Sam-man!" before he drifted off into oblivion.

* * *

_Michael wasn't sure if what was happening was real or just a nightmare, but he knew he would never forget watching Division's doctor use the scalpel to cut into Nikita's abdomen._

_"Don't pass out, I need you. Okay place those clamps on either side of the incision." The doctor ordered._

_He did exactly as he was told, scared out of his wits to do it, but more terrified not to._

_"The flashlight... I need to be able to see." The doctor waited until the beam of light lit up Nikita's opened abdomen._

_"I am going to suction out the amniotic fluid." He took a large oversized syringe and withdrew the fluid. "Okay... I'm going to deliver the first one." He reached in with one hand and maneuvered one tiny head up as if he were gently turning a doorknob and with both hands lifted out a small body. He cradled it face down in the palm of his hand and used his fingers to press and stroke on the baby's back. The small creature resembled an alien covered in slime and squirmed around. It let out a high pitched noise. "Good girl... Michael, it's a girl!" He placed the newborn inside his coat._

_"Don't worry about the cord, it'll be okay..." The doctor reached in and found the second minature baby and delivered it in the same way. "You have a son Michael!" He massaged the baby's back and nothing happened. He turned him over and tapped on his chest. The tiny newborn was struggling to take a breath. "Come on little guy..." The baby finally made a sound like a cat mewling and he joined his sister within the confines of her coat._

_"Hand me those gauze pads, I need to see where she's bleeding from." Dr. Keller kept working and talking in an optimistic tone._

_Michael looked into Nikita's face, she had smudges of soot from the fire on her cheek. "Nikita, they're beautiful." He whispered to her, the words catching in his throat._

_The doctor spoke in a harsh tone. "Listen to me... you have to get us back to Division. Their lives depend on it. She needs a blood transfusion. Turn up the heat back here for the babies." He had used a smaller clamp on Nikita's incision and pressed the little babies next to her for warmth. "I'll stay with them and you need to drive like a bat out of hell and get us back to Medical as fast as you can without killing us. Do you understand." He had pulled out a small I.V. bag from his duffel bag and found a place on the van's wall to hang it on._

_The fog that had enveloped him was swept away by the doctor's words. "I understand."_

* * *

Birkhoff groaned. He opened his eyes and squeezed them shut when his pupils were assaulted by the overhead light. He was on his back and laying on his arms, they ached and his hands felt numb. He squinted and opened one eye slowly, then the other and after a few seconds they adjusted and he started to focus.

He tried to pull himself up to a sitting position, but it was impossible, his wrists and ankles were held together with zip ties. The more he struggled to get up, the more they cut into his skin. He rolled over on his stomach and felt the blood rush to his hands, it was painful, but a welcome distraction from the panic that was creeping into him. His instincts told him to fight against his restraints, but he realized he wasn't getting out of this, so he took a deep breath and immediately started coughing and gasping for air. Then he remembered.

He had gone to sub-level three, each of them were searching for Emma in the air vents. They had all taken a floor and with Sonya's ingenious deductive skills at work, they'd narrowed down the most likely places to look. He had searched one vent with little success, having tried to squeeze into it but he couldn't make it past his shoulders. Like the others he had called out to the little girl, but there was no reply only silence. He had moved on to the second vent and unscrewed the bolts that held the grate in place. He stashed the pocket knife back in his pants and peered into the vent.

"Emma? Honey, it's Seymour." He called out when suddenly a blast of noxious air hit him in the face. His eyes immediately started to burn and he couldn't breathe when his lungs filled with the gas. What came next was waking up in his present predicament.

He scooted himself around like an inch worm and saw Sonya, bound like he was, laying about five feet away.

"Jesus... Sonya... Sonya can you hear me?" His voice came out raspy, his throat hurt when he swallowed. He heard a little groan escape from her, but she wasn't coming around easily. Just beyond her he saw another body and guessed it was probably Ryan Fletcher.

A labored groan came from the opposite side of the room. It was deep and distinctly male.

"Hey? Who's here?" He threw the question to the faceless man. "You need to wake up! We got to get out of here."

From somewhere above him he thought he heard something, but he couldn't be sure.

"Who's there? We need some help. We need to get outta here!"

Birkhoff froze on the spot. He knew he wasn't imagining voices in his head, this was real and frightening.

A sad muffled voice was calling out to him. "See-mo! See-mo! I wan my Mah=mee!"


	8. Family Time

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Family Time

* * *

_Voices. __Some male, some female were shouting out orders, reciting numbers and calling out information. The rattle of equipment, the hum of machines and the steady sound of beep, beep, beep kept rhythm in her head. __Even though her eyes were closed, she felt a light shining down on her. It reminded her of lifting her face up to the sun and having that orange color penetrate her eyelids. But she was inside and this light was bright white._

_She was being jostled about and was thankful that it wasn't painful. She was aware of an IV needle in her arm and felt life coming back to her limbs from a transfusion. ____A blood pressure cuff on her other arm continually squeezed and released it. _A tube was threaded down her throat and the effort to breathe was no longer her responsibility.

_A very strange sensation came over her and settled around her abdomen. It felt like someone was tugging at a body part she didn't know she had. They pulled on it gently and then rearranged it neatly inside of her. Once that was over, everything started to slow down. The light was taken away, the voices calmed and the noise from the machines seemed slower. She retreated someplace back in her head and blocked the world out and drifted away. Minutes or hours may have passed by but she couldn't be sure because time seemed irrelevant._

* * *

_She felt fingers stroking her cheek so gently, they brushed against her skin and felt warm and comforting and she knew it was Michael who was guiding her back._

_"Nikita, I love you." Michael's spoke to her gently."You're going to be fine, perfect."_

_Her thoughts were still disjointed but she clearly heard the love laced with concern in his voice._

_"Michael?" She mumbled, t____hey pulled the breathing tube since her condition had improved and _her tongue felt thick and fuzzy and hearing her scratchy hoarse voice was unsettling. "What's happened?"

_"Sshhh.. don't talk, just take it easy, everything is fine. When it's time, you can open your eyes."_

_"I love you." She whispered. _

_Michael was blanketed by mixture of relief and loss as he looked down at her sleeping peacefully. The last twenty four hours had been critical, but that benchmark of worry and concern had passed. Now it was time for all of them to heal. __He was thankful that she would never know what they had gone through. Telling her the truth and the nightmare of possibly loosing her still manifested itself as a searing wound inside of him. _

_After the doctor had performed the emergency C-Section on Nikita, everything happened so quickly. Dr. Keller made it clear, g__et them back to Division immediately. _The van raced down the roadway with _the doctor, Nikita and the babies in the back. _Michael tamped down the dread he felt, his son and daughter were so tiny. Nothing could prepare him for the absolute wonder he felt at seeing them, but his euphoria was replaced by fear the moment he heard the doctor over their Coms.

_Keller spoke in a low voice. "Make sure we're prepped for surgery. ____I've temporarily stopped the bleeding but we've got some work to do and _she's going to need at least two transfusions_."_ He was clear and calm for Michael's sake, but he knew very well three lives were hanging in the balance.

_"I need the two neonatal nurses on-board, one for each infant. The incubators need to be loaded and ready. The male needs to be intubated and goes straight into ICU." He hesitated for just a moment as he studied the condition of the tiny creatures. _

_The female infant was breathing on her own, her lungs were more developed, her gender working in her favor. Her color was good considering she weighed no more than three pounds. The male child was in crisis, he was smaller than his sister and his coloring was pale. Keller continually used two fingers on this chest to keep his heart pumping. _

_Michael managed to get them back to Division in half the time it would usually take. The van drove out of the vehicle elevator and the minute he cut the engine, the medical staff descended upon them. He watched as the doctor handed a male and female nurse each a premie and they swept them away and placed them in the incubators. They made adjustments on the computer screen and studied them carefully, before wheeling them away. At the same time a team hustled Nikita into Medical._

_Through shell shocked eyes, Michael saw Birkhoff walking up with concern written all over him. _

___"Go with the babies, be with them. Let the Doc take care of Nikita." Birkhoff told him._

_Michael nodded and spoke in a tone that few ever heard. "Tell me the minute they bring her out, tell me the truth." He pleaded._

_"I will! Now go." Birkhoff watched Michael pivot on the spot where he stood and run after his newborn children. _

* * *

"I know." Nikita whispered. "She's trying to get to me by hurting you and Emma." They stood facing each other and he saw the same look in her face that was etched on his.

Michael scowled and shook his head. "We have to do something. How much time?" He pressed the Com unit in his ear.

"We have twenty-two minutes." Sean answered. Alex was looking into another air vent, she turned towards him, her eyes filled with emotion.

"Nikita, Michael. We've searched sub-level three." He watched as Alex turned away from the last air vent before turning to him and shaking her head.

"We're headed up to you, but will sweep Sub two and one on the way."

"Nikita, watch the video again, this time slow it down and don't focus on Emma. Look for anything that might be a clue." Alex tried to think the way Nikita had taught her. She knew that both Nikita and Michael had been blind sided.

"Copy that." Michael answered.

"She's right, we have to work with what we have." He tapped on the keyboard and they played the video over, this time at half it's normal speed.

"Look, stop it. Right there, enlarge that spot." Michael pointed to the monitor. "Before the camera zooms in on Emma, look at the light fixture on the wall."

Michael squinted his eyes at Nikita. "Those wall sconces aren't common, but I'm not sure where I've seen them before."

"The plans! Pull up the plans that Sonya was working with! The light fixtures will be specified in the drawings!" Nikita said urgently.

Michael used his skills to gain access to the schematics. Sonya had already separated out the various layers. HVAC was one, the electrical was another. He searched through them and his eyes grew wide.

"Alex, Sean. When we looked at the vid again, we found atypical wall fixtures and they're in Amanda's former quarters. It's located on the northwest corner of level three. We'll meet you there."

Sean and Alex were already running toward the elevators. She pushed the button while Sean set his smart phone to count down the remaining nineteen minutes.

* * *

"Can you lay on your side and get close. In my left pocket is my Swiss army knife. You think you can reach it?" Birkhoff rolled onto his side and with their backs to each other scooted himself toward Sonya.

He could hear her, she was trying to position herself so her hands could reach him. "Okay but you have to shift yourself toward me."

He leaned to the side and pressed himself against her. "If we get out of this mess, let's remember this position, it's kinda a turn on." He grunted.

"Shut up Seymour... Not if... When we get out of this bloody mess... I think I... got it!" Sonya huffed out a breath of air. She lay face down on the floor and held the pen knife in one hand. "I think I can pull the blade out." With the fingertips of her other hand she found the spot to leverage it open. "I did it!"

"Yeah, I'm definitely turned on." Birkhoff smirked. "Hand it to me and let me see if i can cut you loose."

They were both on their sides and managed to align themselves in the right position. "Hold still, this may take a minute."

He stopped what he was doing and yelled out. "Emma? You okay?"

"NO!" She wailed. "MAH-MEEE!"

"Hey now, if you can just hold tight, we'll get you out of there and we can play computer games... 'kay? He grunted while working on sawing through Sonya's plastic zip ties.

"Hole wha tight?" Emma asked. "See-mo, I wan my Mommy! I wan Daddee an I wan Sam-man." She started to sniffle, but stopped.

"I seeeeee you!" She stated.

"Where Emma, where are you looking from?" Sonya asked trying to keep still and engage the little girl.

"From he-air." She answered.

"Good Emma, that's good." Sonya praised her.

"Anyone have an idea what time it is?" Ryan called out.

"Tick Tock! Tick Tock! Mandy sez the clock watch." Emma answered in a tiny voice.

"Seymour, I can feel it giving, just a little more and I think I can break... "She grunted. "...them open!"

"Houdini Lives!" Birkhoff yelled out.

Sonya rolled away from him, she stretched her cramped arms out and pushed herself up. "I'll get you out of there in a jiffy."

Emma sang out from above them, somewhere near the ceiling fan. "Jif Jif Jif, pee-nut butt-her." She hesitated before yelling out, "So-nee, I hon-gree."

"Ow!" Birkhoff whined pulling his hands free. "Gimme the knife." He took it from Sonya and proceeded to cut the plastic straps around his ankles. Once released, he crawled over and worked on Sonya's and then went to Ryan.

Ryan whispered. "We don't have much time... do you have any idea where we are?"

"Yeah, you could use a better decorator." Birkhoff muttered back. "This used to be Amanda's chamber of horrors." He handed Ryan the pocket knife and he went over to the Doctor who was patiently waiting to be set free.

"So-nee?" Emma yelled out. "I wan my Mommy an I wan a sanich with pee-nut butt-her and purr-pal jam!"

Sonya replied in her most soothing voice. "Yes sweetheart, we'll find your mum and get you something to eat, but first we have to get you out of there."

Ryan looked around the room, it was empty of any furniture, except for a laptop computer in the corner. "We have to get up to the ceiling and dismantle the fan to get her out."

"I'll do it. Who will give me a lift up there?" Offered Sonya.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Birkhoff yelled out over his shoulder. He had opened the laptop to find out why it was even there. "SHIT!"

He turned the computer screen toward them and Amanda's evil head appeared.

"Go ahead and take the cover off of the fan casing, but then I'd stop. I've added a DNA security feature that only Nikita can override. Emma's little head is resting on the fan and if anyone else tries to take it apart, it will cause the fan to turn on... well, what an awful mess." Amanda gave up a smug smile.

"Remember, only Michael can disarm the detonator, otherwise the pile of explosives I have tucked away go off. I've tried to make this quality family time."


	9. Eleven Minutes

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Eleven Minutes

* * *

It may have looked like all the other cold, gray metal doors, but Alex knew better. She remembered the other recruits used to joke about poisoned apples or flying monkeys residing within those walls. When Amanda was a Division General, this was her lair. It was furnished with a white mohair sofa, a plush area rug and glass and brass accent tables. Flowers in ornate vases decorated the room and against one wall was a vanity table with many drawers and an exceptionally clear mirror.

The ambiance was meant to be soothing, but no matter how many cups of tea Amanda poured or how soothing the classical music in the background was, everyone knew this was a place to fear.

"You think the access codes are the same? It seems rather strange to let security get so lax." Sean looked skeptical.

Alex shrugged. "When Ryan took over, almost all of the areas Percy and Amanda had anything to do with were emptied out. He felt it was bad for morale to leave them behind like they were some shrine."

She went ahead and punched in a code, but nothing happened. She tried another combination, still nothing. The third time however, the door made a clicking sound and unlatched.

Sean had his gun out in front of him and nodded to Alex. With her weapon raised in front of her, she kicked the door in and the two of them rushed in.

They found a mostly empty room and their guns pointed at their allies, who were pressed up against the wall on either side of the door.

"JEEZUS! What the hell do you think this is?" Birkhoff yelled out, his heart racing with adrenaline.

Ryan had his hands up and looked at them, his boyish looks had turned dark and strained. "Where are Nikita and Michael? The clock is running and if the last message from Amanda is accurate, they are the only ones who can get to Emma and pull the detonator."

"They directed us to meet them here." Sean stopped when he hear a shrill cry come from the ceiling fan cover.

"Where ma MAH-MEE? Where ma DADEEE?" Emma cried out. "I wan ma MAH-MEE!"

They all looked up.

"Exey!" She wailed. "I wan ma MAH-MEE!"

Before Alex could answer, Nikita shouted up at the ceiling. They had crept up upon the group and heard their little girl crying.

"I'M HERE! EMMA! Mommy and Daddy are here!" Nikita trembled with relief and Michael's grim expression and worried eyes darted around the room.

"Mah-mee?" She sobbed.

"Yeah Baby, I'm here." Nikita forced her tears back.

"Doh cry mah-mee... Dadee, I see you." Her little voice called out.

Sean looked at his watch. "ELEVEN MINUTES!"

* * *

_Her lips were dry and her mouth was parched, she whimpered when she tried to swallow._

_"Nikita, the doctor said you can have a little water." _

_She slowly opened her eyes and it took more than a moment for them to focus. _

___ Alex hovered over her with a cup and a straw. She raised the head of the bed and guided the straw to her mouth. __The sip of cool water gave her some relief and the nightmare she'd been living seemed to loosen it's grip on her._

_Alex took her hand and held it gently. "You're doing great. You've had surgery and four blood transfusions and Dr. Keller says you'll make a full recovery if you take it easy."_

_Nikita nodded. She was still disoriented but Alex was one of a few people in her world she loved unconditionally and took comfort in having her by her side. She reached out and Alex took her hand and held it. _

_Alex smiled down at her but even though she tried to hide it, her expression was strained._

_"What is it? Where's Michael... Alex?" She whispered. "The babies?" Her eyes filled with tears._

_"Michael's close by and you two are going to be the best parents in the world." The tears rolled down her face and she used the back of her hand to brush them aside._

_"Tell me." She whispered her voice filled with emotion._

_"Nikita." Michael's deep voice penetrated the room. Alex squeezed Nikita's hand and stepped back to let Michael take her place._

_"Alex is right, you're going to be a wonderful mother and we're all so lucky to have you in our lives." He smiled down at her, the lines around his eyes crinkled, but the light she expected to see in them was absent._

_"I don't remember." Nikita murmured. "The babies?" She asked again._

_"They're both so tiny. Your daughter is almost three pounds and doing well." He turned back toward Alex. "Will you ask the Doc if she can see them?"_

_Alex nodded with a troubled expression and left the room._

_"She's just like you, a fighter and beautiful." Michael said, smoothing a wayward lock of hair away from her face._

_"What about the other one?" She whispered. "Is it a boy or a girl?"_

_"A boy." He paused a moment. "He's not doing as well, he weighed less and his lungs are not fully developed."_

_"He'll be okay?" Nikita's voice quivered, the grip of fear returned, she already knew the answer._

_Michael's eyes became glassy. "He's on life support. Dr. Keller agreed to that until you could see him."_

_"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Nikita was consumed with pain. Not from her injuries but from her heart being shattered._

_"No. Don't do this. Don't let Amanda or anyone get between us. We're a family." His voice was grounded and filled with conviction._

_Nikita leaned back against the pillows under her head and closed her eyes. She felt exhausted, every nerve in her body felt tense and her mind felt numb._

_Her eyes remained closed but rasped out a whisper. "What's his name?"_

_Michael kissed the back of her hand. "Elliott. Remember, we decided if one was a boy, we would name him Elliott."_

_"I remember, and if one is a girl, her name is Emma." Nikita murmured so quietly he barely heard her._

_"That's right, her name will be Emma." Michael smiled, but with an undercurrent of sorrow._

_A nurse rolled in an incubator and inside lay baby Emma on a sheepskin pad. She was swaddled in a yellow blanket and slept peacefully. _

_"I'm Cleo, Emma's nurse." She gave Nikita a reassuring smile, with it came an air of competency and authority. "She's doing really well. She's fed every two hours round the clock and her reflexes and numbers are all normal. She also has a strong cry, which is a good sign." Cleo opened the cover and reached in and picked up the little baby and carried it over to Michael who cradled her in his large hands. _

_The little bundle let out a big yawn and he smiled at her with delight. "She's beautiful, just like her mother."_

_Cleo raised the head of Nikita's bed and helped her get comfortable, arranging pillows around her, and putting one on her lap._

_Michael placed the baby in Nikita's hands and together they rested her on the pillow._

_"I can't believe how small she is." She murmured stroking the little baby girl with one finger._

_"In about two weeks I predict she'll weigh in at five pounds. By then you'll be feeling much better and mama and papa will take over raising this little pumpkin." Cleo said cheerfully. _

_Nikita looked down at her daughter with a sense of awe. She had never felt this way before, it was an instant and unconditional love that filled her heart. _

_Michael looked at their baby and at Nikita. "I love you both."_

_Baby Emma squirmed and her eyes opened and stared up at them. Mother and father looked at her and each other and smiled._

_Cleo stepped toward them. "Your son is here." She looked at them kindly. "I need to feed and change this little one, but we'll be back in a flash." _

_They relinquished their hold on Emma and saw another incubator being wheeled in. Dr. Keller followed behind them._

_Dr. Keller looked at them solemnly. "Nikita, we'll talk about your recovery later. I've already talked to Michael about your son and I'm sorry this can't wait." _

_The male nurse was busy typing in numbers on the computer. The gentle humming from the incubator subsided. Dr. Keller looked over his shoulder and nodded._

_The nurse gently picked up Elliott, he was smaller than his sister and both Michael and Nikita could see the infant was weak, his color was pale and translucent._

_Dr. Keller took the baby from him and handed him to Michael. "Take as much time as you need. I'm sorry we couldn't have done more for him."_

_Michael's hands trembled as he placed the baby in Nikita's arms. "Doc offered to have him taken to a private hospital, but I know without a doubt that he and the medical staff here would do more for him if he stayed. They've given all of us their undivided attention and this time together."_

_Nikita barely heard him. The little infant boy barely moved and she knew the awful truth was coming._

_"He knows you're his mother. He knows that you love him." Michael murmured._

_Nikita stifled the pain in her heart and looked down at him. "I love you Elliott." She whispered. "We both love you."_

_Michael moved closer and wrapped his arm around Nikita. It was almost too painful to bear, but they knew this moment was to be treasured. Michael kissed the top of his little head first and then Nikita followed, together they held and poured their love into him as Baby Elliott took his last breath._


	10. Find the Button

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Find the Button

* * *

Michael slammed the lid of the laptop down with anger, he vowed not to drown in his hatred for Amanda, she would not win this game of emotional Russian Roulette. Focus. Saving Emma was the only thing that mattered. Making Amanda pay would come later.

Nikita looked around the room, besides the fan and the canned light fixtures there was no other way into the ceiling. "I need a ladder! Ryan, I need to get up there."

"There's maintenance equipment being stored on this floor. I don't recall the room number but it has..."

"...double doors and used to be a conference room." Birkhoff finished the sentence. "Follow me, I know the one." He and Dr. Keller and Sean sprinted down the hallway.

"Michael, I have to get everyone out. Do you understand?" Ryan looked more than conflicted as Nikita looked up at the ceiling and talked to her daughter who was trapped above their heads.

Michael caught Nikita's eye, his expression hard and grim, hers filled with dread. "We understand, go." He growled.

"I'm not leaving!" Alex announced. "We're a family and we stay together."

No one had a chance to argue with her. Instead they cleared the way for a six foot step ladder to be set up. Sean handed Michael a cordless power drill and Birkhoff handed Nikita a flashlight.

She wasted no time climbing it, Michael was right behind her. She balanced herself on one of the top rungs and he stood on one just below her. She pulled the flashlight out of her pocket and pointed the beam of light toward the fasteners that kept the fan cover on. Michael already had the drill in hand.

"Mah-Mee! Da-Dee! I wanna go home." Nikita recognized Emma's tired and hungry voice and the last thing they needed was a three year old melt down.

"Emma, do you remember the bumble bee song?" Nikita asked her cheerfully. The drill made a whirring sound and Michael dropped one of the bolts onto the floor and went to work on the next one.

"No!" Their little girl said with defiance. "I hay dat song!" She began to sob in frustration and her cries bounced around the metal enclosure.

Another bolt dropped down. "Emma!" Michael grunted working on the next one. "Use your words"

"NOOO!" She cried out.

"Shhhh shhhh, it's going to be okay." Nikita said soothingly. "Daddy is right, you have to stop crying."

Michael continued to struggle with the third bolt, it was stuck and he finally cursed in frustration.

"Dat wazza baaad word." Emma stated incredulously.

Nikita held the cover up with two hands, the pressure caused the third bolt to finally loosen and come out. There was one more to go. "Emma, I'm not angry with you, but it's really important that you do what we say." Michael had unfastened the last bolt, they pulled the cover away from the ceiling and he and Nikita let it fall. It hit the floor with a crash.

"Uh oh, Da-Dee, you bray dat?" Emma had a little attitude in her voice but it didn't last long, she began to howl again.

Nikita flashed the beam of light around, looking at the mechanism and saw the security lock on the fan blade. A red light was blinking back at her, she had seen this before with the black boxes, it meant drawing a drop of blood for the computer chip to read her DNA, before allowing access.

She pressed her thumb against it and the light on the winking light turned green. She crawled down the other side of the ladder allowing Michael better access.

He reached up into the unit, fumbling around until he found the place where the fan was connected "Emma, can you scoot way way back, pretend you're a little snake?"

"Shurrr!" She answered. Distracted by her father's request, her cries of frustration had abruptly turned off.

"Get back as far as you can, and make yourself into a little ball, I'm going to make a big noise, cover your ears with your hands." Emma did as she was told and pushed her knees up, clamped her chubby hands down over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

Michael leaned back and fired his gun at the mechanism. The noise echoed in the room and the fan blades shattered. He pulled what was left down with one hand.

"Nikita, you have to crawl in there to get to her."

She pulled herself up and poked her head into the ceiling reaching out for her daughter. "Emma, come on, we have to hurry."

Emma scooted herself forward and when she reached her mother's outstretched hand, she took it and was pulled into her arms. Nikita hadn't realized how afraid she really was until she felt Emma pressed against her.

"Give her to me." Michael had climbed down the ladder and reached up. Nikita peeled Emma away from her and held her under her arms, dropping her into her father's hands.

Michael hugged her and like Nikita, he felt a flood of relief, but he knew this wasn't over. He set her down on the floor and got down with her and pulled her into his lap. He examined the collar around her neck and saw that there were four minutes and the seconds were ticking by.

"Any of you seen this before?" Nikita asked dropping to her knees and shining the light on the device around Emma's neck.

Michael shook his head, while the others hovered over them.

"No, and I can't see where it connects." Sonya had a hint of defeat in her voice.

"It's not Division made, maybe CIA, or it could be Gogol's." Birkhoff added. The seconds on the clock ticked down.

"Mah-Mee, I gotta go tinkle!" Emma cried out.

Dr. Keller bent down and talked to her kindly. "Emma, I'm glad to see you. Do you remember me?" The doctor looked at Nikita and they both knew he was trying to distract Emma's attention.

"No?" Emma answered in a little voice. "Hoo you?"

"I was there when you were born. You were a very beautiful little baby!"

"I know." Emma answered in a matter of fact manner.

The doctor chuckled.

"Mah-Mee an Da-dee tell me dat all da time!" She answered looking into his face. She rewarded him with a big smile.

"All of you!" Ryan whispered forcefully. "If you think staying will solve this, I can't make you leave, but listen to me, someone has to be left to stop Amanda."

Michael looked up at them. "He's right. Go."

Nikita nodded her head. "We'll do what we can. Alex, don't even say it, don't even argue. We all love you... you know that... so please don't make us responsible."

Sean took hold of Alex's hand. "If anyone can beat this, it's you two. Good Luck!" The distress was evident in his voice as he led her away.

Alex was devastated, this family was her family and leaving seemed wrong and selfish, but she knew she didn't have the answer, so she let Sean pull her away.

She called out over her shoulder. "Emma, see you soon!" I'll help you and your mom make cookies, okay?"

Birkhoff took Sonya's hand, a stoic expression on his face. "Yeah, we'll see you guys later. I love you Emma, we'll play Sims when you get back."

Sonya was equally as upset and her voice quavered. "Bye bye Emma! We'll be at the office waiting for all three of you."

Ryan shook his head. "I wish it hadn't come to this. Nikita, I would do anything for you and your family and if I could save..." He stopped himself. "If I could change things I would."

Nikita nodded. "I know, we both know."

Michael looked like he was in physical pain. "Doc, take Nikita... save her." He murmured to the doctor.

"NO!" She was shocked by Michael's suggestion. "Remember, we stay together, always!" She said watching the clock tick down.

Dr. Keller had taken an oath to save lives, but nothing in his medical training was capable of saving them from this. What they needed was a miracle. "I get it." He said rising to his feet. "You're together and that's what really matters."

They watched their friends and colleagues leave and disappear out of sight. Michael pulled Nikita and Emma into his arms.

They held on to each other with Emma between them. "This is not how it's supposed to end. This is wrong." He said through clenched teeth.

Emma peered up at her parents. "Mandy sez tick tock watch da clock. Ssshhh, is a secret."

"What's a secret?" Nikita looked startled. "Emma please tell me!"

Michael watched as the clock on the device around her neck continued to count down. "It's has to do with the clock..."

Nikita asked her again. "Emma, what's the secret? Please tell us. It's really really important."

Emma looked at her mother and furrowed her brow. "She sez to watch da clock an see da mess-udg. Yu haffa fine da buddon an then yu kin tay it off wen it say tick tock."

"Baby girl, thank you for telling us!" Nikita hugged her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She held her with her head resting on her shoulder. The clock continued to count down.

"Button! We have to find the button!" Michael muttered feeling around the edge of the collar but nothing tripped his fingers up.

Nikita searched again. Still nothing.

"Emma, what else did Amanda tell you?" Michael did his best to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Nu-thing." She answered in a small voice.

"Michael!" Nikita murmured. "I will always love you and Emma."

"And, I love both of you." He answered.

The clock counted down taunting them. It had less than two minutes left on it.


	11. It's Over

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

It's Over

* * *

_"Well? what do you think?" _

_Nikita stood in their newly remodeled kitchen at the island house. It was as large as the secret loft she had when she had gone rogue but nothing like it. It was practical as well as inviting, it was 'homey'. Michael saw the look on her face and it brought back memories of the time he took her to her first apartment as a young recruit. Back then, she was a new Division agent and he was her Handler and if he'd been honest, he was already falling in love with her._

_The baby squirmed in her arms and she shifted her daughter so her little head lay on her shoulder. She swayed from side to side and to Michael it was a beautiful sight and one he would never forget._

_"Well?"_

_"Oh-My-God!" She said under her breath. "It's absolutely perfect! You did all this?"_

_The color rose in his face and he looked at her sheepishly. "Well not exactly, Alex and Sonya helped. I'm not sure if any of us knew what we were doing, but if something's not right, we can change it."_

_She shook her head. "I mean it, it's absolutely perfect." Her eyes roamed around the room and settled on the professional quality kitchen appliances. She caught his eye. "I guess this means I have to learn to cook?"_

_He laughed at the perplexed expression on her face. _

_Three months had passed since Michael demanded the island house kitchen, their bedroom and the adjacent nursery be ready for them. The Contractor's didn't dare challenge his timeline, they had no idea who they were dealing with but knew this wasn't any ordinary client. They weren't foolish enough to take a day off.__  
_

_"Come on, I'll show you the master suite and the nursery." He held his arms out and she handed their infant daughter to him. Emma opened her eyes and blinked with a quizzical look on her face. She knew she was safely in her father's arms so she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. _

_Watching him with their baby still gave her a feeling of awe. She mentally pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but as happy as she was, she still fought the gray cloud that would sweep in and obliterate her joy with self-loathing. She knew she would always be haunted by her actions and each time she went to that dark place, she came back hating Amanda just a little more._

___"Michael, I don't deserve this." Tears welled up in her eyes and one rolled down her cheek. Even from all of the reassurances and love he gave her, she still carried the burden of losing their tiny baby boy. He was Michael's son, her son and Emma's brother and guilt would wash over her when she least expected it._

_"Nikita." Michael motioned for her to sit down on one of the overstuffed chairs in the corner of the room and balancing Emma in one arm, he sat in the other across from her._

_"We've gone through enough tragedy in our lives, and we need to move on. You taught me that. You know how consumed with vengeance and anger I was when Lizzy and Hayley were killed, but you showed me that to live and love again is the only way to honor our dead. We both know that we will never be like other families, but that doesn't mean we can't try and be normal, or at least we can't be angry with each other for wanting it in our lives."_

_She nodded her head. "I'm trying. I promise, for your sake and Emma's sake, I will keep trying."_

_He smiled at her tenderly. She was incredibly strong willed and a warrior, but her heart had been stomped on one too many times and taken it's tole on her. "Come on, let me show you the rest of this part of the house."_

_She let him lead her away and into a nursery. It was decorated in soft muted colors and filled with any baby gear you could imagine. A comfortable rocking chair sat next to the crib. One wall was covered with a whiteboard and on it were handwritten messages from Sonya, Birkhoff, Alex and Sean. Her eyes filled with tears again when she read them, but this time they weren't from sorrow. _

_Michael placed a slumbering Emma in her crib. She still looked very small even though she had gained four times her birth weight. "Sonya made this play list." He started the iPod on one of the shelves and the sweet sounds of soft music filled the room._

_"Come and see the rest." He led her through a door and found herself in their bedroom. It was simply furnished but the view from their bed overlooked the water and the city bloomed in the background._

_"Alex said you would want to personalize our room. You know, hang your stuff all over the place, leave girly equipment out." He said with a mischievous glint in his eye._

_Nikita turned back to him. "Are we alone?" _

_The look in her eye caused his head to spin ever so slightly. "Yes..."_

_She walked over to him and whispered. "Let's do normal things to each other."_

_He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her against him. The heat between them burned hot and could not be ignored. He kissed her with unrestrained fervor and felt every curve of her body against his. "I have a feeling you're going to blow my mind."_

_"You can count on it." Nikita murmured, her fingers had already pulled his t-shirt up. She never tired of running her hands over his lean hard muscles. She knew normal was good and safe, but as she worked on unbuckling his belt, she knew extraordinary was what they both deserved._

* * *

For just a moment, the room became eerily silent. Not even Emma made a sound. It was if she instinctively knew to be quiet but the moment passed when they realized they were not alone.

"Sam-man!" Emma squealed. "Sam-man, I gotta go tinkle."

Sam stood in the doorway with a crazed look on his face. "Let me see it!" He demanded.

Nikita rose to her feet with Emma in her arms and Sam rushed over.

"I know this, it's a prototype the CIA discovered in a terrorist cell in Santiago. There's a remote control to stop it, and a small window of time to disarm it. Fifteen seconds.

"What does it look like? What are we looking for?" The panic was evident in Michael's voice.

"Not sure, but you'll know it when we find it." The two men eyes followed the ladder up to the ceiling.

Nikita had already gone to Michael and handed Emma over to him and scrambled up the ladder. "Where's the flashlight!"

He reached into his pocket and tossed it to her and she caught it in one hand.

Sam looked at Michael and he knew he would not leave his little girl, so he followed Nikita up. She had already crawled into the ceiling and with the beam from her flash light she searched the air duct.

"You see anything that isn't attached to something. It should be loose, by itself." Sam answered.

"HERE! Here, I think I found it." Nikita shouted out and her voice echoed within the metal corridor. "We have to give it to Michael. Amanda said it was DNA coded. He has to do it."

"We have only a minute left." Michael yelled. Emma started to wail.

Sam had pulled Nikita out of the air shaft and in one fluid movement, she tossed the small box down to Michael.

"There's a ton of explosives up there. It'll take this whole area down!" Nikita yelled.

Sam helped Nikita off the ladder and she landed on two feet and ran over to Michael. She looked at him and at the clock on the device around Emma's neck.

"Amanda told Emma that 'tick tock' would appear on the display. Then we could deactivate." Michael didn't even try to keep his voice calm as he pressed his thumb agains the pad. Nothing happened.

"Try it again!" Nikita begged.

Sam had descended the ladder. "Wait!"

Michael looked at him with anger. "What!? We have forty seconds left!"

* * *

Ryan paced around Operations while Birkhoff and Sonya did their best to monitor the facility. He had ordered everyone out, but their friends who had left them in Amanda's old quarters, refused to leave the building.

Alex nervously bit her thumbnail until Sean gently pulled her hand down. He embraced her and rubbed circles around her back.

"Don't give up. We don't know what will happen." Sean whispered in her ear.

Alex hugged him back. He had become a rock in her life and she cherished his kindness and strength. "How much time is left?"

"Less than a minute." Birkhoff rubbed his hands over his face and turned toward Sonya and she gave up a sad, painful smile.

Dr. Keller walked into the area. "There's no sign of Sam. Any ideas?" He gave Ryan a dark look.

"We've been focused on Nikita, Michael and Emma. Sam could be anywhere. Once we know where we stand with them, we'll search for him."

The Doctor looked at his watch. "Whatever happens, they are together and that is important."

Birkhoff's voice cracked. "Thirty seconds."

Alex hid her face in Sean's shoulder and began to weep. "I can't think about how they must feel right now."

"Alex, they feel determined. They feel they won't ever give up and the Doc is right, they feel that being together is what matters."

The room became silent except for the hum of the computers and sound of the monitors buzzing with static. They were far enough away that they barely felt the explosion and the the noise was faint, like the distant rumble of thunder.

Ryan turned his back to the others, but they still heard the hitch in his voice and the intake of air that was meant to stop his emotions.

"It's over."

* * *

_Next: Final Chapter_


	12. Six Months Later and Epilogue

This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, go someplace else. Children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.

* * *

Six Months Later

* * *

Moonlight illuminated her way as she used the rock wall to guide her to the old stone cottage standing behind it. With her head down, stepping lightly and carefully, she came to the iron gate that brought her one step closer to Amanda. Alex took a deep breath.

Gentry lagged behind, he had placed a small video camera on top of the rock wall and was covering Alex with enough fire power to rival a small tank.

"Ops." She whispered. "Four guards and an infrared beam around the perimeter. Birkhoff can you disable it?"

"Oh yeah, it would be my pleasure." Birkhoff smirked from the back of the panel truck. His fingers tapped on his keyboard. In preparation for just this moment, he had written a special program and played it with a great deal of satisfaction.

"Done!" He said smugly. "I hacked the she-devil's security system and poked a whole in her super duper un-penetrable firewall. The system is down."

Sonya looked over her computer at him and for the first time in six months her smile wasn't tainted by past events.

"Alex, back up is on it's way." Sean muttered. He and Mac approached the area from the opposite direction. Both men cautiously picked their way toward the gate pressing themselves against the rock wall for cover.

"Sonya? Do you have eyes on the front entry?" Alex kept her voice calm and even, but tonight her nerves were being tested.

"Affirmative. Two men on the roll up doors and the other two are walking around the perimeter of the house." Sonya replied. She remotely maneuvered Gentry's small camera.

"Sean?" Alex questioned. "The three of us will take the guards down and get those doors open.

"Works for me." He muttered and studied the four men guarding Amanda's headquarters.

"Mac, I want you to back Alex up and take out the creeps who are on those roll up doors. I'll get the rovers." Sean's eyes shifted back and forth before they landed on Alex.

She gave him that little look someplace between friendship and lust and watched him, jump the wall and circle behind one of the roving guards. He could have been a dancer the way he choreographed the moves and timing. Guard One went down and Guard Two followed before he knew what hit him.

Alex and Mac approached the building and with the rapid fire of guns blazing, they took the two men guarding the door out.

"You have to hurry, they'll know you're positions any minute." Sonya told them with breathless urgency.

"Copy that." Alex answered and she and Mac ran toward the building. They searched for the access panel to open the doors and found it hidden in the ground. It took one of Birkhoff's newly designed toys to break the electronic lock and the doors slowly rolled up.

Alex signaled Gentry who approached with the rocket launcher over his shoulder. He went down on one knee and peered through the scope. The target was the inside of the building and he was ready to deploy the weapon once the three others had cleared the property. His concentration was interrupted when Alex shrieked.

"Stop! They have Sean!"

* * *

Amanda paced back in forth in front of her desk. Her leather boots clicked on the granite floor like a metronome keeping time. She finally stopped and confronted the two prisoners who were on their knees with their wrists tied behind them. One of Amanda's men stood over them with an assault rifle in his hands.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Amanda asked sarcastically. She crossed her arms over her chest, her black leather jacket made a slight crackling sound.

"Alex, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you might have gotten my not so subtle message when I blew up Nikita, Michael and that sweet little Emma." She sneered at them and shook her head. "You should know, I don't like you."

She used a remote control and a picture on the flat screen mounted on the wall came alive.

Both Alex and Sean looked up and Alex's heart skipped a beat when she saw Sonya being pulled and strong armed by one man and Birkhoff marched at gun point by another toward a life size cage.

The picture zoomed in on the two adjacent cages and Gentry and Mac's prone bodies were sprawled on the floor. She might have thought they were dead until she saw Gentry jerk with pain.

"Best man wins..." Amanda gloated. She looked at the guard hovering over them. "Take them to the holding cells but don't bother locking them up. I want you to execute them in front of Birkhoff and Sonya."

Sean felt a lump in his throat when he tried to swallow. Amanda had continued to become more malevolent and twisted as time went on. Now that Nikita and Michael had been taken care of, he wondered what would come next.

The guard prodded them to their feet and toward the door. They were about ten feet from it when it flew open and Michael and Sam stormed in, armed with automatic weapons. They took down Amanda's man with little effort. Nikita walked in behind them, while Sam released Alex and Sean. She and Michael approached the woman who had been responsible for so much pain in their lives.

"Hey Mandy." Nikita smirked. "My daughter says Tick Tock Watch the Clock, you fucking bitch."

* * *

Six Months Before

* * *

_The intensity on Sam's face was more than disturbing but their options had run out and they needed a plan. The number on the collar around Emma's neck continued to count down._

_"Michael as soon as you see tick tock appear, press that button. We have to make that bitch think she's won. Do you have a gun or anything that we can use to set off the explosives?"_

_"Are you serious?" Nikita shouted back._

_"Nikita, he's right. The concussion bomb you brought will work. It's got a ten second lag time on it." Michael shouted back._

_"No time for discussion!" Sam yelled._

_Nikita jumped up and ran toward the ladder. She climbed half way up before pulling the grenade out of her vest._

_"You ready!" Sam ordered as the clock counted down to sixteen seconds._

_Suddenly tick tock appeared on the collar and Michael pressed his thumb against the remote control. The collar immediately clicked open and Sam grabbed it and threw it down while picking up Emma._

_"NOW NIKITA... RUN!"_

_Nikita pulled the pin and threw the grenade into the ceiling she jumped down from the ladder and Michael grabbed her hand. They followed on Sam and Emma's heels, running as fast as possible and straight into the storage closet. Michael slammed the door shut and threw himself over Nikita who had one hand on Emma's leg when the explosion threw them about like rag dolls and debris rained down on their heads._

* * *

The shocked look on Amanda's face was almost comical and Alex and Sean didn't try to stifle their smiles.

"That's not exactly correct." Michael added. "We don't encourage Emma to use words like fucking bitch..." His eyes shone with anger. "I guess this could be the exception."

The color had drained from Amanda's face. "I killed you..." she choked out.

"No, you tried to kill us, but you failed." Nikita spat out.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at them. "This isn't over. I will kill Emma and you and Michael will never be able to do anything about it." She looked at them, crazed with anger and fear.

"Amanda, Michael and I have decided to show you some compassion. You're sick, you need help." Nikita stated calmly.

"And you're just plain weak." The crazy look in her eyes intensified.

"Yes, we do have a weakness for justice." Michael smirked.

"We could shoot off both your feet and throw you in prison for the rest of your life... but like I said we're not the cruel and insane ones in this room."

Amanda looked at them defiantly. "Fine, do whatever." She said with haughty arrogance.

Michael looked at Nikita and Nikita nodded back at him. "We will make this fast." They raised their weapons at her, and she cowered with fright as they pulled their triggers and the bullets hit their target squarely in the head.

* * *

_It was Dr. Keller who was first on the scene. Emma's cry of distress was like a beacon on a rocky shore. He followed the noise and found Sam collapsed but still holding and shielding the little girl from the explosion._

_"Come here sweetie." The doctor said. "It's going to be all right." He took her out of Sam's arms and held her._

_"NOOOO!" Emma wailed. "I tinkled in my pants." She sobbed into his shoulder._

_Sam coughed and his body twitched._

_Alex ran up behind the doctor and reached out for Emma and took her into her arms. She hugged and kissed her and the usually stoic young woman wept with relief. A moment later she realized Sean was there, his arms wrapped around them both._

_The doctor checked out Sam and knew he had a concussion and was covered with abrasions from having the room collapse on them, but nothing was broken and his pulse was strong._

_"Here!" Birkhoff yelled. "Nikki?"_

_Sean, Ryan, Birkhoff and the doctor struggled with a beam that had Nikita's leg pinned to the floor. They were able to raise it and Sonya pulled her out by the arms from under it._

_Nikita's head lolled from side to side. The doctor saw her leg was fractured, but it was clean. He checked her abdomen and didn't see any evidence of internal bleeding._

_"Where!?" She squeaked out._

_Michael stumbled over to her covered in plaster dust, a cut on his temple dripped blood. "I'm okay. Nikita, we're all okay."_

_Emma wailed in the background. "Mah-mee! Da-dee! I wanna go home!"_

_Her mother called out to her. "Yeah baby! It's time to go home!"_

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

"What a beautiful day!" Nikita lay on the grass and looked up at the blue sky. She and Michael had built a picnic lunch and laid it out on the expansive lawn in front of their island home.

"Yes, it is all quite beautiful." He rolled over towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I understand that Ryan's become quite the man about town. They found all sorts of information on Amanda's server. A directory of major terrorist cells around the world."

"Hmmm... I think he should get a desk job, the stuff he's doing has gotta be stressful." Nikita murmured.

Emma called out to them. "Look! It's Exey and Shun! Hi Exey! Hi Shun! We havin' a nick-pick."

Alex's eyes lit up and Sean caught the toddler in his arms when she came running over.

"Looking good." Sean said. He had a slightly flushed looked and Nikita and Michael immediately saw that something had happened.

"What is it?" Nikita asked scrambling to her feet. "What's happened?" Her stomach flipped over.

Michael joined them and saw the look of apprehension on Alex and Sean's face. "Is it serious? Do we need to get briefed on this."

Sean shook his head and bounced Emma in his arms, she squealed with delight. "Tell them Alex."

Alex looked up at them and the serious expression morphed into a bright smile.

"I'm pregnant!"

~The End

* * *

Author's Notes (June 9, 2013):

* * *

First of all, I'd like to thank anyone who has read this story. Do let me know what you liked and didn't like about it.

Secondly, thank you to everyone who left me a review. A few of you left guest comments and I was unable to reply to you in person... Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words!

Third, a round of applause for Emmachen1312 for the concept and ideas for this story. She deserves the credit!

They say actors never want to be in a scene with kids or animals because they steal the show. That being said, I do think that stories with children can be really difficult to write. Babyfics and songfics don't always work in my opinion because they are overly sentimental. I hope the babies in my story came through as lovable. (I happen to know a little girl who gave me the inspiration for Emma. She is a zillion times cuter than anything I could write and maybe someday she'll read this and know she had something to do with it.)

Also, Dr. Keller is actually from Beauty & the Beast, 2012 but without his supporting cast it was almost impossible to make that magic happen. If any of you read my Nikita/BatB Crossover I did him more justice in that story than this.

Summer is upon us and it's bittersweet to think that Nikita will be over with only six episodes in 2014 by the looks of things.

I love this show and am so glad they will be able to give it a proper ending, but I will miss it terribly. Hopefully all of the wonderful writers out there will still keep writing for this fandom and Team Nikita will live on!

Love to you all,

Mochi


End file.
